He {{2014isrunning}} for [[U.S. Congress elections, 2014|re-election]] to the [[U.S. House elections, 2014|U.S. House]] in 2014. He defeated [[Michael Firsching]] and [[Erika Harold]] in the Republican primary on March 18, 2014.<ref name="ilushouse">[http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2014/by_state/IL_US_House_0318.html?SITE=CSPANELN&SECTION=POLITICS ''Associated Press'', "Primary Election 2014," accessed March 18, 2014]</ref> {{Nov2014genelection}}

He {{2014isrunning}} for [[U.S. Congress elections, 2014|re-election]] to the [[U.S. House elections, 2014|U.S. House]] in 2014. He defeated [[Michael Firsching]] and [[Erika Harold]] in the Republican primary on March 18, 2014.<ref name="ilushouse">[http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2014/by_state/IL_US_House_0318.html?SITE=CSPANELN&SECTION=POLITICS ''Associated Press'', "Primary Election 2014," accessed March 18, 2014]</ref> {{Nov2014genelection}}

−

Davis is a member of the National Republican Campaign Committee's Patriot program.<ref>[http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2013/05/11/freshman-lawmakers-are-introduced-permanent-hunt-for-campaign-money/YQMMMoqCNxGKh2h0tOIF9H/story.html ''Boston Globe'', "For freshman in Congress, focus is on raising money," accessed May 13, 2013]</ref><ref>[http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2013/05/11/freshman-lawmakers-are-introduced-permanent-hunt-for-campaign-money/YQMMMoqCNxGKh2h0tOIF9H/story.html ''Boston Globe'', "For freshman in Congress, focus is on raising money," accessed May 13, 2013]</ref> According to a ''Washington Post'' article in December 2012, Davis is 1 of the 10 most vulnerable incumbents in [[United States House of Representatives elections, 2014|2014]].<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/12/07/house-democrats-face-long-odds-in-2014/ ''Washington Post'', "House Democrats Face Long Odds in 2014," accessed December 7, 2012]</ref>

+

Davis is a member of the National Republican Campaign Committee's Patriot program.<ref>[http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2013/05/11/freshman-lawmakers-are-introduced-permanent-hunt-for-campaign-money/YQMMMoqCNxGKh2h0tOIF9H/story.html ''Boston Globe'', "For freshman in Congress, focus is on raising money," accessed May 13, 2013]</ref><ref>[http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2013/05/11/freshman-lawmakers-are-introduced-permanent-hunt-for-campaign-money/YQMMMoqCNxGKh2h0tOIF9H/story.html ''Boston Globe'', "For freshman in Congress, focus is on raising money," accessed May 13, 2013]</ref> According to a ''Washington Post'' article in December 2012, Davis is one of the 10 most vulnerable incumbents in [[United States House of Representatives elections, 2014|2014]].<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/12/07/house-democrats-face-long-odds-in-2014/ ''Washington Post'', "House Democrats Face Long Odds in 2014," accessed December 7, 2012]</ref>

{{Introanalysis

{{Introanalysis

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Davis {{2014isrunning}} for [[U.S. Congress elections, 2014|re-election]] to the [[U.S. House elections, 2014|U.S. House]] in 2014. He defeated [[Michael Firsching]] and [[Erika Harold]] in the Republican primary on March 18, 2014.<ref name="ilushouse"/> {{Nov2014genelection}}

Davis {{2014isrunning}} for [[U.S. Congress elections, 2014|re-election]] to the [[U.S. House elections, 2014|U.S. House]] in 2014. He defeated [[Michael Firsching]] and [[Erika Harold]] in the Republican primary on March 18, 2014.<ref name="ilushouse"/> {{Nov2014genelection}}

−

According to a ''Washington Post'' article in December 2012, Davis is 1 of the 10 most vulnerable incumbents in [[United States House of Representatives elections, 2014|2014]].<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/12/07/house-democrats-face-long-odds-in-2014/ ''Washington Post'', "House Democrats Face Long Odds in 2014," accessed December 7, 2012]</ref> Davis is a member of the [[National Republican Congressional Committee#Patriot Program|National Republican Congressional Committee's Patriot Program]]. The program is designed to assist vulnerable Republican incumbents heading into the 2014 election.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/04/22/11-house-republicans-named-to-incumbent-protection-program/?wprss=rss_politics ''The Washington Post'', "11 House Republicans named to incumbent-protection program," accessed April 22, 2013]</ref> He has also been listed by the [[House Majority PAC]] as a target in 2014.<ref>[http://atr.rollcall.com/house-majority-pac-announces-top-2014-gop-incumbent-targets/ ''Roll Call'', "House Majority PAC Announces Top 2014 GOP Incumbent Targets," accessed July 16, 2013]</ref><ref>[http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/house-races/326399-dem-super-pac-hitting-9-republicans-on-shutdown ''The Hill'', "Dem super PAC hitting nine House Republicans on shutdown," accessed October 4, 2013]</ref><ref>[http://www.kwtx.com/centraltexasvotes/home/headlines/Democratic-Group-Airs-Shutdown-Ads-Targeting-GOP-Lawmakers-226363121.html ''KWTV'', "Democratic Group Airs Shutdown Ads Targeting GOP Lawmakers," accessed October 4, 2013]</ref>

+

According to a ''Washington Post'' article in December 2012, Davis is one of the 10 most vulnerable incumbents in [[United States House of Representatives elections, 2014|2014]].<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/12/07/house-democrats-face-long-odds-in-2014/ ''Washington Post'', "House Democrats Face Long Odds in 2014," accessed December 7, 2012]</ref> Davis is a member of the [[National Republican Congressional Committee#Patriot Program|National Republican Congressional Committee's Patriot Program]]. The program is designed to assist vulnerable Republican incumbents heading into the 2014 election.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/04/22/11-house-republicans-named-to-incumbent-protection-program/?wprss=rss_politics ''The Washington Post'', "11 House Republicans named to incumbent-protection program," accessed April 22, 2013]</ref> He has also been listed by the [[House Majority PAC]] as a target in 2014.<ref>[http://atr.rollcall.com/house-majority-pac-announces-top-2014-gop-incumbent-targets/ ''Roll Call'', "House Majority PAC Announces Top 2014 GOP Incumbent Targets," accessed July 16, 2013]</ref><ref>[http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/house-races/326399-dem-super-pac-hitting-9-republicans-on-shutdown ''The Hill'', "Dem super PAC hitting nine House Republicans on shutdown," accessed October 4, 2013]</ref><ref>[http://www.kwtx.com/centraltexasvotes/home/headlines/Democratic-Group-Airs-Shutdown-Ads-Targeting-GOP-Lawmakers-226363121.html ''KWTV'', "Democratic Group Airs Shutdown Ads Targeting GOP Lawmakers," accessed October 4, 2013]</ref>

Davis is a member of the National Republican Campaign Committee's Patriot program.[6][7] According to a Washington Post article in December 2012, Davis is one of the 10 most vulnerable incumbents in 2014.[8]

Based on analysis of multiple outside rankings, Davis is a more moderate right of center Republican Party vote. As a result, he may break with the Republican Party line more than his fellow members.

Biography

Davis was born in Des Moines, Iowa, before moving with his family to Taylorsville, Illinois, when he was seven. Davis attended schools in the area, worked at a McDonalds, which was operated by his parents, and then attended Millikin University where he majored in political science. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and graduated in 1992. He then went to work for the Illinois Secretary of State, followed by an unsuccessful run for the Illinois Legislature in 1998. He went on to work for U.S. Rep. John Shimkus' campaign from 1997 until 2012, when he quit to run for office.[9]

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Davis' professional and political career[9]:

Issues

Legislative actions

113th Congress

The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 114 out of the 3,036 introduced bills (3.8 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[12] For more information pertaining to Davis's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.[13]

National security

DHS Appropriations

Davis voted in favor of HR 2217 - the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2014. The bill passed the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 245 - 182 and was largely along party lines.[14]

Keystone Pipeline Amendment

Davis voted against House Amendment 69, which would have amended HR 3 to "require that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, conduct a study of the vulnerabilities of the Keystone XL pipeline to a terrorist attack and certify that necessary protections have been put in place." The amendment failed on May 22, 2013, with a vote of 176 - 239 and was largely along party lines.[14]

CISPA (2013)

Davis voted against HR 624 - the CISPA (2013). The bill passed the House on April 18, 2013, with a vote of 288 - 127. The bill would allow federal intelligence agencies to share cybersecurity intelligence and information with private entities and utilities.[15] The bill was largely supported by Republicans, but divided the Democratic Party.[14]

NDAA

Davis voted in support of HR 1960 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2013, with a vote of 315 - 108. Both parties were somewhat divided on the vote.[14]

Economy

Farm bill

On January 29, 2014, the U.S. House approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill.[16] The bill passed by a vote of 251-166. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that would kick in when prices drop.[17][18] However, cuts to the food stamp program cut an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states.[18] Davis voted with 161 other Republicanrepresentatives in favor of the bill.

2014 Budget

On January 15, 2014, the Republican-run House approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014.[19][20] The House voted 359-67 for the 1,582 page bill, with 64 Republicans and three Democrats voting against the bill.[20] The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations.[21] It included a 1 percent increase in the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel, a $1 billion increase in Head Start funding for early childhood education, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency and protected the Affordable Care Act from any drastic cuts. Davis voted with the majority of the Republican party in favor of the bill.[19]

Government shutdown

On September 30, 2013, the House passed a final stopgap spending bill before the shutdown went into effect. The bill included a one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate and would have also stripped the bill of federal subsidies for congressional members and staff. It passed through the House with a vote of 228-201.[22] At 1 a.m. on October 1, 2013, one hour after the shutdown officially began, the House voted to move forward with going to a conference. In short order, Sen. Harry Reid rejected the call to conference.[23] Davis voted to approve the stopgap spending bill that would have delayed the individual mandate.[24]

The shutdown finally ended on October 16, 2013, when the House took a vote on HR 2775 after it was approved by the Senate. The bill to reopen the government lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies.[25] The House passed the legislation shortly after the Senate, by a vote of 285-144, with all 144 votes against the legislation coming from Republican members. Davis voted for HR 2775.[26]

Pay during government shutdown

Davis said on October 1, 2013, via Twitter that "As long as the government remains shutdown, I will not accept a paycheck - I urge all Members of Congress to join me."[27]

Coal-fired power plants

Davis and Reps.John Shimkus (R) and William Enyart (D) criticized President Obama's plans announced June 25, 2013 to make sharp cuts in carbon emissions by using the federal Environmental Protection Agency to impose tougher restrictions on coal-fired power plants.[28] The three congressmen harshly criticized the stricter rules proposed by Obama as job-killers that will "needllessly spike electricity costs for consumer."[28]

Immigration

Morton Memos Prohibition

Davis voted in favor of House Amendment 136 - Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order. The amendment was adopted by the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 224 - 201. The purpose of the amendment as stated on the official text is to "prohibit the use of funds to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the Morton Memos." These memos would have granted administrative amnesty to certain illegal aliens residing in the United States. The vote largely followed party lines.[14]

Healthcare

Healthcare Reform Rules

Davis voted in favor of House Amendment 450 - Requires Congressional Approval for Any Rules Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The amendment was adopted by the House on August 2, 2013, with a vote of 227-185. The amendment requires all changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act be approved by Congress before taking effect. The vote was largely along party lines.[14]

Keep the IRS Off Your Healthcare Act

Davis voted in favor of HR 2009 - Keep the IRS Off Your Healthcare Act of 2013. The bill passed through the House on August 2, 2013, with a vote of 232-185. The bill would prevent the IRS and Treasury Secretary from enforcing the powers provided to them in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The vote largely followed party lines.[14]

Social issues

Amash amendment

Davis voted in favor of House Amendment 413 - Prohibits the National Security Agency from Collecting Records Under the Patriot Act. The amendment failed on July 4, 2013, by a vote of 205-217. The amendment would have prohibited the collection of records by the National Security Agency under the Patriot Act. Both parties were split on the vote.[14]

Campaign themes

2012

According to Davis' website, his campaign themes included:

Jobs: "Government doesn’t create jobs which means Congress should get out of the way of business owners and let them do their jobs."

Taxes: ."..we must create a simpler, fairer tax system that ensures everyone pays their fair share and makes America a more attractive place for companies to invest and create jobs."

Healthcare: ."..believes in a market-based approach that provides not only choice in health care for those who are insured, but will address the needs of the uninsured of our country..."[29]

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor information for Davis is available dating back to 2012. Based on available campaign finance records, Davis raised a total of $1,400,451 during that time period. This information was last updated on April 5, 2013.[37]

Davis was a top freshman fundraiser in the 113th congress as a member of the National Republican Campaign Committee's Patriot program.[46][47]

In July 2013, Davis reported raising more than $450,000 in the second quarter, bringing him to more than $700,000 cash-on-hand as he heads into 2014, in what is expected to be one of the most competitive House contests of the cycle.[48]

2012

Breakdown of the source of Davis's campaign funds before the 2012 election.

Davis won election to the U.S. House in 2012. During that election cycle, Davis's campaign committee raised a total of $1,400,451 and spent $1,383,024.[49] This is less than the average $1.5 million spent by House winners in 2012.[50]

2012

Lifetime voting record

According to the website GovTrack, Davis missed 2 of 89 roll call votes from January 2013 to March 2013. This amounts to 2.2%, which is equal to the median of 2.2% among current congressional representatives as of March 2013.[53]

Net worth

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Davis's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $85,020 and $405,000. That averages to $245,010, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican representatives in 2012 of $6,956,438.47. Davis ranked as the 334th most wealthy representative in 2012.[54]

Rodney Davis Yearly Net Worth

Year

Average Net Worth

2012

$245,010

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

Voting with party

2013

Rodney Davis voted with the Republican Party 93.1% of the time, which ranked 199th among the 233 House Republican members as of June 2013.[55]